a new kind of sermon for me

I’ve just finished my sermon outline for tomorrow. I’ll be guest-speaking at Great Commission Community Church in Arlington, Virginia, the next county over from Centreville.

The preaching date was scheduled months ago. I was actually on the phone with the church coordinator who invited me while the tragedy was happening, talking about what was happening at the church, while the horrific tragedy was happening at the Virginia Tech campus. Now it feels like a divine appointment. I couldn’t possibly recycle a sermon. I felt compelled to be in this moment to hear from God anew.

I based my talk on the text in John 11. Jesus’ words are the best when I can’t decide between the many good passages in the Scriptures. Unlike some Type A personalities, I do not do well with pressure. This week’s sermon preparation was very different for me, as it’s been more of an emotional preparation of grieving, mourning, and listening.

While I affirm that the Gospel is more than enough, we need more than a generic plain-vanilla Gospel. We need a Gospel that speaks into the Asian American experience specifically and deeply. We need a lot of redemption there. Many (most?) Asian churches, pastors, and lay people avoid addressing that. I’m going to try through my sermon for the first time, even though I’ve been exploring it for years on my blog and in email-based discussion groups and in my work with L² Foundation.

I won’t reveal more yet. You’ll have to come out to hear it live if you’re in the metro Washington DC area, The talk should be recorded, and I’ll link to that when/if it’s posted. If you’re inclined to pray, please pray that I can speak honestly and emotionally, more than I’ve ever tried.